Tag: science

Death Calculator

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I came across Dr. Demko’s Death Calculator, and it is pretty interesting.

It brings up many things…

It is a reminder for me that although my days are numbered (limited), the exact date of my death is a mystery to me. It can be today. Or it can be in many decades, possibly five or more.

It is a reminder that although my date of death is a mystery, I can do quite a few things to increase or maintain my health and well-being – which may (or may not) also prolong my life.

And it is a reminder that none of these things are particularly mysterious. They all involve nurturing a variety of relationships: To other people, nurturing nurturing relationships. To my mind, keeping it active. To my body, eating a good diet and getting some excercise. And to my body/mind, allowing it to unwind, relax, and find some resolution to challenges in my life.

And finally, the death calculator is a reminder that things like death calculators can be very useful. They serve as a reminder of all these things, a gentle kick in the butt.

Maybe the very last reminder is to not go into complacency, even if the number coming out of the calculator is pretty good (90 to 100 or more in my case). It only works if I am actually doing all these things, maintaining engagement with all those relationships.

Contact

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I recently watched Contact again, and it brings up several things for me…

Mostly, the incredible beauty and awe that comes up from realizing that we are this universe bringing itself into awareness. And the deep sense of humility and belonging that comes from realizing that we, as human beings, are infinitely small parts of this infinitely large and rich universe.

Also, the continuing de-provinsialization in our culture, as it shows up in so many areas – going towards deepening worldcentric views and experiences of the world. From anthropocentrism to biocentrism and possibly beyond. From ethnocentrism to ethnodiversity. From rights for a few to universal human rights. From seeing this planet as the center of the universe, to seeing the sun as the center, to seeing this galaxy as the center (or rather all there is), to realizing the infinite number of galaxies out there – everywhere a center to itself. And how even the thought of life other places in the universe brings us even further out of our provincial outlook, to acknowledging that this planet may be one of a large number of living planets out there.

And also, slightly disappointing maybe, the orange (in Spiral Dynamics) view on science and religion which the story is filtered through – making it appear to be a choice between the scientific methodology and faith, or maybe both although for separate realms.

In any case, when I saw the movie the first time it brought me straight into Big Mind, and it still does. It reminds me of the big picture – that we, as humans, are stardust. That we are the universe temporarily reorganizing itself into humans, human culture, human technology, cities, thoughts, emotions, feelings, sensations, animals, plants, mountains, stars, oceans, clouds, rain, rocks, beaches, trees, the living Earth, this solar system, this galaxy, and all there is. That we, along with everything else that is, are the leading edge of the evolving universe. That all this is, with a center everywhere and nowhere, one seamless unfolding process – where there are no separate individuals, no separate doers, thinkers, seers, experiencers. Everything belongs, everything is the local movements of the whole – beyond and including all polarities.

Phase Transitions & Popping

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When I lived at the Zen center and studied psychology (health psychology and systems theories), I saw a clear parallel between the awakening process and phase transitions as described by systems theories. And now, when there is an oscillation of realizing “no I” – sometimes relatively clearly and other times more obscured – this comes back to me.

Systems views is quite similar to (parts of) some of the Eastern philosophies. For instance, the world of phenomena is seen as a seamless fluid whole, organized holarchically – nested systems one within another, similar to russian nesting dolls.

Systems view & nondual awakening

And in terms of a nondual awakening – to a clear realization of “no I” anywhere – there are also many parallels.

Before this awakening, the attractor state is organized around a belief in the thought “I” and everything that brings with it. After awakening, there is a new attractor state – a new stable condition for the system – now in the clear realization of “no I”.

The system undergoes a phase transition, from one stable attractor state (the story of I) to another (dropping the story of I).

And there are several control variables which helps nudge the system into this phase transition. These are the ones we are familiar with through the various spiritual traditions, including clarity, devotion and insights – and induced through practices such as meditation, prayer, inquiry, mindfulness and more.

So systems theories can be used as one way to analyze the awakening process and the tools used at various phases of this process. It may yield some helpful insights, and help us organize the various traditions and approaches as well.